Intensive insulin therapy justifies simplification of the diabetes diet: a prospective study in insulin-dependent diabetic patients.

Dietary and metabolic variables were investigated in 48 unselected, nonobese Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients before and 3 mo after changing from (a) traditional insulin and diet therapy to (b) intensified insulin plus simplified diet therapy. HbA1c levels declined significantly from 9.04 +/- 0.25% with therapy (a) to 8.34 +/- 0.16% with therapy (b) (p less than 0.005). During (a), 58% of all patients used a personal diet plan, but only 15% of them performed food exchange according to the traditional diet prescription. Their eating habits remained unchanged during (b). Since improved metabolic control in this study could be obtained without adherence to traditional diet schedules, a simplification of the traditional diabetes diet prescription seems justified for nonobese Type 1 diabetic patients on intensified insulin therapy.